After a slightly later-than-intended departure from the railway station on Friday evening (about 4.50pm), the eleven of us set off on the long drive towards the Ruahine range. There were clear skies in Wellington, but the NIWA forecast for Sunrise Hut that weekend was looking pretty average – cloudy and windy with a bit of rain overnight and a ‘high chance’ of low visibility – so we were a mix of hopeful and nervous about whether we would get to see the famed sunrise at our destination.
We stopped off in Palmerston North for dinner, parking at the shopping mall next to Woolworths. Most of us opted for the convenience of eating at the kebab shop at the food court which, although tasty, may have been a mistake.
We reached the carpark at the end of North Block Road at about 9.10pm. It’s an easy 10 minute walk to Triplex Hut, through farmland and into the forest. Triplex is named for a shirt that was the only remains found of a pilot, Hamish Armstrong, who crashed in the Ruahine Range in 1935. It’s a standard hut, with two six-bunk bedrooms on either side of the dining area, and had recently been done up with new decking. Some of us went straight to bed upon arriving at the hut, while a few others enjoyed a cup of tea and some stargazing first. We considering lighting the wood burner to heat up the hut, but ultimately decided it wasn’t necessary. There were differing views in the morning about whether this had been a good decision or not, mostly depending on the temperature rating of one’s sleeping bag.
Triplex Hut. Photo credit: Faye
We set off confidently at around 9am the next morning, sun shining. The track up to Sunrise Hut is well formed with a gentle, steady gradient of 716m elevation gain over 6.3km, through some nice forest. Easy enough under normal circumstances – unfortunately, one of us started to feel unwell pretty early into the walk (the most likely culprit was deemed to be food poisoning from the tahini salad at the kebab shop), which made it a struggle. The group had drifted apart a bit but reconnected at a track junction and reset our pace – a good lesson in sticking close together even on an easy track.
Sunrise track. Photo credit: Faye
After three hours of walking with frequent stops, we were very happy to arrive at Sunrise Hut, which has stunning views over the Hawke’s Bay region and, importantly, two long drops in good condition. The hut itself is very nice, with a mix of three-person platforms and single bunks to choose from. After lunch at the hut, most of the group switched to our day packs and headed up to the track that leads to Top Maropea Hut.
The track is along an exposed ridgeline and rougher than what we had experienced so far. The wind was strong with a significant chill factor, so we all got out our puffers and beanies and agreed that we would only go as far as we all felt comfortable with. The views were awesome, with dramatic mountain scenery on one side and the plains on the other. We could see a lot of cloud build up further into the range and hoped that wouldn’t be heading our way later on.
You can stay over there, thanks clouds. Photo credit: Sally
We stopped at Armstrong Saddle where we learned a bit more about the pilot who had crashed there in 1935, and then carried on until we reached a signpost marking 1.5km from Sunrise Hut. From here, the track to Top Maropea drops back down below the tree line, so we decided to turn back as we figured we had seen the best of the views.
The track between Sunrise and Top Maropea huts. Photo credit: Faye
Back at the hut, we spent the rest of the afternoon relaxing. Niamh and Faye prepared a delicious dinner of vegetarian nachos, which Sally declared to be the best meal she’d ever had on a club trip! This was followed by Jenni’s deconstructed apple crumble with home stewed apples and a sprinkling of granola – yum!
After some conversation and games, we headed to our bunks for an early night. The wind picked up overnight and was very loud, shaking the hut. With the forecast in mind, I was expecting to wake up to clouds overhead, but every time I opened my eyes to look out the window, I could still see the stars shining.
At around 6.45am the horizon started to glow, so we all got up and headed outside to watch the sunrise.
A lone sleeping bag watching the sunrise. Photo credit: Sally
It was a beautiful sunrise and we all felt very lucky to have seen it. We departed the hut at around 9am, with the walk back down to the road end taking just under two hours. There we discovered that the carpark had a pretty nice view of its own, over farmland dotted with sheep and with the Wakarara Range in the distance.
The drive back to Wellington took us about four hours, including a 50 minute stop for lunch at the busy Café 88 in Woodville. All in all, a fabulous trip. Highly recommended for newer trampers who want a taste of the tops, and anyone who likes a good sunrise (who doesn’t?).
Eleven happy trampers. Photo credit: a fellow tramper at the hut